With breathy Macy-Gray like vocals, new artist Kashie Khaos, lyrically delivers on her debut single, “Royal Romance.” Kashie’s early years as a poet lead her to publish 4 free-style books. This poetic foundation furnished her ability to write songs and to capture her beliefs with lyrical prowess. We spoke to this artist about her creative process and what inspires her music. Interview After The Jump…

The cold frost of winter, makes for the perfect season, for hot chocolate in the form of 10 decadent songs from the living legend, Johnny Osbourne. With a career that spans over 50 years, and music still in high demand, “The Godfather of Dancehall” created a plethora of songs for music lovers to indulge in. More After The Jump…

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On December 6, 2008, I arrived at the Hammerstein Ballroom and met a large crowd, which gathered together on a snowy night, for the Jamrock Magazine, 4th Annual Vintage Fest, promoted by David “Squeeze” Annakie. Unfortunately, the line to purchase tickets at the door was so long that security announced, “No one else can come in, ” after a threshold point. A photographer standing next to me said follow me. As we walked towards a back entrance, she said “Who do you want to meet, I know everyone.” My first time being back stage at a concert definitely came as a surprise and I was introduced to several living legends, including, Frankie Paul, Sugar Minott, Brigadier Jerry, Carlton Livingston, Nadine Sutherland and Coco Tea. More After The Jump…

North America’s premier dub festival kicks off tonight Sept 19 with Lee Scratch Perry & Subatomic Sound System in DC at the Howard Theater and Deadly Dragon & Reggae Rajahs in NYC at the Delancey. Live performances, educational workshops, and a glimpse into the creation of dub music runs until Monday Sept 23rd. This is the third year the festival is being run and if you missed the last two we suggest you clear your calendar and make it to at least one of the nine events. Full Schedule And Ticket Info After The Jump…

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Steel Pulse Debuts A Track In Honor Of The Rosa Parks Incident As Well As Our 44th President

Never ones to shy away from the political, Steel Pulse debuts a track to honor both the 100th anniversary of the Rosa Parks incident and our comander-in-chief Barack Obama. The song also has deeper meanings, as Steel Pulse Explains, the track:

also serves as a testimony of the African diaspora that have survived Western world society, despite the disadvantages of slavery and colonialism, we have managed to have a man of color as a leader of this world, in the White House.

Very powerful words and an equally powerful song, Listen to “Paint It Black” now after the jump… Read more »

Late last night came the grim news that Winston Riley—one of the last true living legends in the reggae industry—has died. Riley made musical history both as a singer and a producer over a half-century span. Starting as a founding member of the vocal group The Techniques, he went on to establish the prolific and pioneering Techniques label, which released the instrumental hit “Double Barrel” that went on to top the UK charts. He created the immortal Stalag riddim, a strong contender for the greatest reggae instrumental of all time. He produced breakthrough hits by artists as diverse as General Echo, Tenor Saw, Super Cat, Sanchez, Red Dragon, Buju Banton, and Spragga Benz, just to name a few. He had been attacked at home last November, suffering gunshot wounds in the head and arm from which he never fully recovered. “Turning into a producer is a very good ting,” he told the Jamaica Gleaner in 2008. “Yuh achieve a great goal, but is not an easy road.”
In recent years he’d been working on refurbishing the Techniques headquarters on Kingston’s Orange Street into a museum commemorating the music to which he devoted his life. His efforts were rewarded with senseless violence. Upon hearing the news, the only thing that came to mind was one of the less famous cuts from Mr. Riley’s classic Stalag 17 album:

Brigadier Jerry “What Kind Of World” (1985)

“What type of world are we living in?” Briggy asks, his voice filled with righteous indignation. “Jah know it is a sin…”Read more »

“Amy always said, ‘Hey we need a reggae song for this album,’” the singer’s longtime friend and producer Salaam Remi said earlier this week at a listening session for the forthcoming album, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, which kicks off with a bright & bouncy reggae version of the dreamy Ruby & The Romantics chart-topper from 1962. “This is a vocal that she did early in her career, but in true Amy form. And when I was playing different songs for her family, everybody was like ‘That’s it, the reggae one.'” The same song was covered in 1971 by The Heptones in a dreamy Rock Steady stylee, but Remi’s 2011 remix is steppin’ it hotter this year. Read more »

To say the reggae industry is male dominated might be the understatement of all time. Jamaica’s first, foremost, and arguably only serious female producer was Sonia E. Pottinger, who died last Wednesday November 3rd at the age of 79. Introduced to the music biz by her husband Lyndon Pottinger, she opened the Tip Top record shop in 1965 and started producing the following year. Serious selectors covet all the rock steady and roots classics released on her Tip Top, Highnote, and Gayfeet labels. In 1974 Pottinger bought Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label shortly before his passing (and she won a big court case just last year retaining her rights to the legendary imprint, which she soon made available online). She was eventually recognised with the Order of Distinction for her contribution to the development of Jamaican music

“Ms. Pottinger, I rate her highly,” legendary soundman Winston “Merritone” Blake told this Sunday’s Jamaica Observer. “For her to enter the music scene at the time she did, going up against the giant record producers in Coxsone and Duke Reid, required tremendous courage. And the kind of music that she produced was unquestioned. They have stood the test of time.” On that note, let’s rewind back some of Ms. P’s Certified Boomshots…Read more »